


Heavenly Dance

by Jaylie



Category: Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: F/F, I just love imagining how they got there, No Plot, S04E06: A Tale of Two Muses, Still not in a relationship sorry, very short OS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 23:28:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28696953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaylie/pseuds/Jaylie
Summary: A short scene that takes place after "A Tale of Two Muses". Dances and kisses involved.
Relationships: Gabrielle/Xena
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	Heavenly Dance

**Author's Note:**

> As I said in the tags, no one can stop me from writing them discovering their feelings at any point in the show!! I just enjoy that freedom that the show gave us!  
> This was supposed to be part of a small collection but I'm not sure of the other ones yet.  
> So, here you are, I hope you'll like this little thing!  
> Reviews are very welcome :)  
> (Lyrics at the beginning are from the song Need It from Half Moon Run. However I wrote this on this music: https://youtu.be/vcJ90IrthzU?t=1613)

  
_“If you breathe in, then I breathe in_

_And slowly let go_

_If you need it, then I need it_

_And only we'll know”_

When they dance that night on the music of drums and flute, it’s slow and deep. The joyful music of the day has transformed, as the moon arose, into soothing rhythms that invite everyone around the fire to place their hands and feet carefully and to synch with those around them. Gabrielle has barely stopped dancing to eat, and Xena sits on a bench with a cup of ale in the hand, talking with Autolycus. It had been a good day. They won a simple, heart-fulfilling victory today, and she finds in this a happiness that she would have found ridiculous ten years ago. It may also be due to the alcohol that impregnates her body, but she feels herself smiling without reason.

A beautiful girl approaches them and asks for Autolycus’ hand, and the king of thieves doesn’t hesitate one second. He apologizes to Xena which nods, absent-minded. She fell into the contemplation of Gabrielle, who’s focusing on making the right moves at the right time. Xena observes how flexible she is, and how pretty in the light of the fire. Her wrists, arms, back, legs are all perfectly following the tempo, and Xena remembers, with a shiver, running her hands on her soft skin. The vision of her friend dancing on those notes makes her incredibly peaceful and she vows to remember this moment for the rest of her life.

At this moment, Gabrielle’s eyes fall on her. She doesn’t stop dancing, but she smiles and Xena smiles back. Then she starts coming towards her and Xena cannot for all the gold of the world take her eyes off her. Gabrielle turns around, and then, just before Xena, offers her hand. Xena hesitates, but she’s so hypnotized by Gabrielle and the alcohol that she doesn’t really have a choice. Besides, she doesn’t dislike dancing. Only her dignity prevents her from that activity sometimes. Not now.  
She takes Gabrielle’s hand and stands up. Gabrielle leads her closer to the fire and the other people, walking backwards.

And then they dance.

Xena doesn’t really know what to do, so she imitates Gabrielle. They raise their palms between them and rest them against one another, and walk in circles, and then in the other direction. Gabrielle makes slow movements with her hands and feet and Xena follows her. She forgets everything around them, the smoke, the musicians, the village, the world. That moment has become everything. She takes Gabrielle’s hand to make her turn around. She finds herself with her back on Xena, Xena’s hand on her stomach, and they move on the rhythm. Then Gabrielle faces Xena again so that her chest touches Xena’s shoulder. She has rested her hand on Xena’s neck, and Xena reciprocates, and they walk around again, looking at each other. Of all the things they have done, Xena feels like it’s the most intimate moment they ever had. They switch sides but keep on dancing, and the perfect symbiosis of their movements, of the music and, she suspects, of their thoughts, sends vibrations to the deepest layers of Xena’s soul.

They dance for what seems hours, and when the music fades they take a moment to notice that everyone is applauding. They smile at each other and Gabrielle takes a deep breath, exhausted.

“Finally, you’re tired,” smiles Xena.

Gabrielle looks at her with sparkling eyes, and nods.

“Let’s go,” says Xena and put her hand on Gabrielle’s back to bring her to their stable corner.

They have laid their bedrolls on the thick layers of fresh straw, and they both lie down without a word. Gabrielle’s on her back, Xena on her belly. But Xena decides she didn’t have enough.

Didn’t have enough of her.

Gabrielle has closed her eyes and is savoring a perfect satisfaction when she feels Xena’s mouth on the back of her hand. She opens her eyes in surprise and looks at her. Xena’s expression is hard to describe, but Gabrielle does notice that her pupils are dilated. She smiles and moves her head a little towards Xena. Showing affection is not her friend’s top ability, and Gabrielle feels particularly moved every time she does. But to Gabrielle’s greater surprise, Xena doesn’t stop there and kisses the inside of Gabrielle’s wrist. It’s delicate and soft, and she looks at Gabrielle again just after. Gabrielle’s a bit puzzled, and she opens her mouth to speak when Xena breaks eye contact to kiss her forearm, and then the crook of her elbow. This time, when Xena looks at her again, Gabrielle’s no longer smiling, she’s short of breath and awfully conscious of the fast rise and fall of her own chest. She knows Xena sees it too. She doesn’t make the smallest gesture to stop her, though, so Xena keeps on and kisses her upper arm. When Gabrielle feels her lips on her bare shoulder, she lets Xena’s name slip on her tongue in a sigh and instinctively leans her head on the opposite direction to welcome a kiss in the neck. At the warm sensation she bents her knees and reaches for Xena’s hair. There’s thunder in her nerves, the beating of her heart has lost all communion with the stillness of her body. Xena’s face lingers in her neck for a moment, and then she kisses her jaw. Gabrielle feels the corners of her mouth rise a little in expectation. She feels another kiss on her cheek and she melts inside. She opens her eyes and they look at each other again. What passes between them is love in its purest form, unconditional, bare, complete love. Their noses brush gently against one another, and Gabrielle feels her heart sink and explode at the same time when their mouths meet.

It has nothing to do with any other kiss she’s ever shared. Never has she felt what she feels now for the one she’s kissing. Physical pleasure is multiplied a thousand times by memories and emotions and the connection that had formed between them over the years. It’s a dance all over again, a dance of lips and tongues and caresses, cadenced by the drum of their hearts and the flute of discreet moans that escape them. How has she not known she needed this? How has she not understood she desired this so much? It seems obvious now, and she thanks the gods for allowing her to be there at that moment.

They part to catch their breath, and Xena smiles at her. “I love you,” Gabrielle whispers.

It’s not the first time she has said this, but right now the love declaration embraces a whole new meaning. Xena sighs deeply. She reaches Gabrielle’s jaw and caress it with the tip of her fingers. “I love you, too,” she whispers back. “I love every single part of you.”

And she undertakes the task to prove it by kissing every part of Gabrielle’s body, temples, nose, cheekbone, eyelid, which makes Gabrielle laugh a little. She kisses her clavicles and the valley above her breasts, and then…

Then the rest belongs to them.


End file.
